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Wednesday Tailgate: Progress report on first-time head coaches

Of the 31 new FBS head coaches, 14 of them are in charge for the first time. Ranging from 8-0 Mark Helfrich at Oregon to 0-7 Todd Monken at Southern Miss, the rookie coaches have had varying levels of success.

Of the 31 new FBS head coaches, 14 are in charge for the first time. Ranging from 8-0 Mark Helfrich at Oregon to 0-7 Todd Monken at Southern Miss, the rookie coaches have had varying levels of success.

Bryan Harsin, Arkansas State: At 3-4, the Red Wolves have struggled a bit under the former Texas offensive coordinator, giving up 28.9 points a game after back-to-back 10-win seasons. That said, two of those losses came to Auburn and Missouri. Arkansas State has split its only two conference games, and bowl eligibility looks likely with some of the Sun Belt bottom feeders remaining on the schedule.

Paul Petrino, Idaho: After spending most of his career working with his brother, Paul Petrino is out on his own and the Vandals are just 1-7 after a 1-11 finish in 2012. They've faced a relatively tough schedule, including Northern Illinois, Fresno State and Ole Miss, and rank 118th in points a game and 125th in points allowed. At 46 years old, Petrino has long been touted as a potential head coach.

Paul Haynes, Kent State: After stints as defensive coordinator at Ohio State and Arkansas, Haynes returned to his alma mater after the Golden Flashes narrowly missed a BCS bid last season. Though last season was widely regarded as an anomaly for the program, few thought this year would be this bad, with Kent State starting 2-7. Many thought Haynes would be able to right the ship defensively, but the team is allowing 32 points a game.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky: The Wildcats have faced one of the toughest schedules in the nation and performed as we might have expected with a 1-6 record overall, 0-4 in SEC play. Stoops has assembled a stellar recruiting class for 2014, and this could be a program on the rise in the coming years.

Brian Polian, Nevada: At 3-5 against a very tough schedule, it's looking like the Wolf Pack will miss out on a bowl game for the first time since 2004. The offense hasn't lived up expectations, putting up just 27.8 points a game, and last week's 27-22 loss at home to UNLV was a pretty ugly one.

Rod Carey, Northern Illinois: He picked up where Dave Doeren left off and has the Huskies 8-0, eyeing their second consecutive BCS berth. A matchup with 8-1 Ball State on Nov. 13 will decide the team's fate, but Carey looks primed to keep this program relevant for a long time to come.

Mark Helfrich, Oregon: What can you say? The Ducks haven't skipped a beat transitioning from the Chip Kelly era, sitting 8-0 and No. 2 in the BCS standings. They control their destiny regarding a possible berth in the national championship game.

Todd Monken, Southern Miss: The former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator inherited a team that was 0-12 last season and things haven't gotten much better, starting 0-7 in 2013. Another winless season might be in the cards, but Monken has assembled a solid recruiting class for 2014 that should earn a few wins in years to come.

Scott Shafer, Syracuse: The Orange have had mixed results under the former defensive coordinator, starting 3-4 and 1-2 in the school's inaugural ACC campaign. The win against Tulane was impressive and a bowl berth is within reach with a favorable schedule the rest of the way.

Matt Rhule, Temple: A New York Giants assistant last season, Rhule has endured a miserable 2013 with the Owls. The team is 1-7, the low point being a home loss to Fordham. Games against UConn and Memphis inspire hope for a few more wins, but this program has fallen a long way in just a few years, having won 26 games from 2009 to 2011.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech: One of the few success stories on the list, Kingsbury has led the Red Raiders back to prominence, winning their first seven games before losing at Oklahoma last week. He's inspired hope for the future in Lubbock, and this program should be able to reach even higher than during the Mike Leach era.

Matt Wells, Utah State: The Aggies' former offensive coordinator, Wells took over a team that went 11-2 last season, starting 4-4 in 2013 against a very respectable schedule, including two losses by four points or fewer. All four remaining games are winnable, and the program's third consecutive bowl berth is a safe bet.

Sean Kugler, Texas-El Paso: Formerly the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line coach, Kugler has had a strong running game as the Miners are 27th in the nation with 211 yards a game. But the team is just 1-7. Kugler has been praised over the years, including Boise State coach Chris Petersen calling him the "best football coach" he's ever been around, and it could take some time for the program to find success.

P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan: The youngest coach in FBS finally got a winlast week, improving to 1-8. Fleck has tried to change the culture at Western Michigan, but the results aren't showing on the field. "DJ Illmix" and a nonsensical "row the boat" philosophy alone aren't going to score you more than 15.3 points a game.

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When was the last time an ACC game had this much hype? Oh yeah, two weeks ago ... ESPN's promo for Saturday's Miami vs. Florida State showdown should send chills down your spine.

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USA TODAY Sports provides the odds for each of the Coaches Poll Top 25 teams' upcoming matchup. Point totals, spreads and money line courtesy of Covers.com as of 9 p.m. EDT on Oct. 29.
Joshua S. Kelly, USA TODAY Sports